Acquisition

In terms of its acquisition policy the Museum of Contemporary Art Lyon resembles other French museums. The artworks are acquired directly from artists, from galeries or private collectors. Its curators try to establish preferential relations, to negotiate best prices and to invite donations. However, regarding itself also as center of artistic production, the museum also fosters artistic creativity: Around 40% of the artworks have been especially created for its permanent collection.

There exist a lot of different criteria concerning the acquisition policy, so they cannot be quoted in full. Among the main criteria the “inscription in time” plays a major role, however, i.e. a museum dedicated to contemporary art has to have its focus on the most recent artistic creations. In so doing, it inspires the art-historical discourse and at the same time it reflects all kinds of current issues.

Most often the newly acquired work then harmonizes very well with the series of works which already constitute the body of the collection. These series have derived from a careful scrutiny of the past that reaches up to the present and also tries to anticipate future trends. All that might be important for historians, aesthetes, philosophers, sociologists, sculptors and other creators is taken into account and helps the curator to arrive at his final judgement.

Most often the newly acquired work then harmonizes very well with the series of works which already constitute the body of the collection. These series have derived from a careful scrutiny of the past that reaches up to the present and also tries to anticipate future trends. All that might be important for historians, aesthetes, philosophers, sociologists, sculptors and other creators is taken into account and helps the curator to arrive at his final judgement.

The emergence of “total” artworks offers the recipient an experience not only stimulating one, but all senses. This form of art conveys a rather global approach to life and at the same time it opens up new scopes for a museum. The Museum of Contemporary Art Lyon has therefore deliberately rejected the attempt to reconstitute a historical chronology based on selected filiations. On the contrary, concerning its acquisition as well as exhibition policy, the museum pays rather special attention to the artist’s choice in order to avoid conventionalism. In so doing, it prefers to focus on the experience of the artistic creation itself.